Two young professionals will be hoping to make a big impression when the new Houldsworth Solicitors Ribblesdale League season gets under way on Saturday.

The snow drifts may have only just disappeared but it is time for the serious business of league cricket with Earby’s Fahid Rehman and Settle’s sub-pro Andrea Agathan- gelou aiming to make their mark.

Rehman makes his debut at home to Cherry Tree while Agathan- gelou’s first game will be at Read.

Both men have hard acts to follow. Rehman takes over at Earby from the prolific Ali Azmat while Agathangelou has been recruited for Settle for three matches until their skipper Mansoor Ajmal returns after the domestic season in Pakistan finishes.

Rehman was signed by Earby from JCT600 Bradford League Division One side Saltaire. He had two successful seasons with them after previously having spells with Bowling Old Lane, Appleby Frodingham and Windhill.

The 21-year-old left-hand batsman made 1,000 runs for Saltaire as they won promotion in 2011 and followed up by scoring 590 runs in Division One last season.

Rehman finished third in the Bradford League batting averages in 2012 and won the Gordon Bowers Young Player of the Year Award – a prize that has previously been won by Yorkshire captains Anthony McGrath and Andrew Gale.

Rehman’s fast medium seam bowling was under used by Saltaire, but it should get more of an airing as Earby look to their new professional to lift them after a disappointing campaign.

Perhaps Earby should take a look at what Settle achieved last year. They were largely written off before the campaign and proved everybody wrong by playing some vibrant cricket to finish fourth.

Professional Ajmal was a key figure in that success and it is a mark of how important he was that Settle have gone out and recruited the talented all-rounder Agathangelou who is on Lancashire’s books and has played three LV County Championship games.

Although born in South Africa, Agathangelou has a Cyprus passport and is believed to be the only Cypriot to have played first class cricket.

Athangelou will bat at the top of the order and is sure to prove a useful addition to the bowling attack with his leg spin as Settle open with a trip to Read.

Champions Barnoldswick will be hoping they can get their title defence off to a winning start at home to Euxton.

The Mewies Solicitors Craven League have decided to postpone their first week’s fixtures on Saturday, April 20.

The clubs were tied 13-13 on the decision at the league’s April meeting on Monday at Skipton LMS Club but league chairman Ken Hirst used his casting vote to put back the matches.

The league will therefore start on Saturday, April 27 but it has not yet been decided when the delayed contests will take place.

However, the season will not be extended by a week by playing the matches on Saturday, September 21.